The world of beer is enormous. Part of what makes beer so fun is that it’s a beverage that involves so much variety, whether it’s styles, brewing techniques, flavors, and more, which lends itself to a ton of conversation. This makes beer a daunting thing to talk about. But fear not, friends, we’ve rounded up eight subjects for you to brush up on about all things beer, which’ll make you look like the expert in any discussion about the sudsy brew we love so much.
Let’s settle the biggest beer myth once and for all: Beer that’s been warmed up then chilled again will not make it skunky. We’ve all heard this proclaimed by someone at some point, right? The truth is, that incorrect snippet that we once thought was gospel, is indeed incorrect. Skunky beer and off-flavors involve many different factors that aren’t necessarily temperature-related, so we got down to the heart of the matter to clear things up once and for all. We dispel beer’s biggest myth here.
Why is it that you find some beer in 16-ounce tallboy cans, while some are relegated to 12-ounce ones? Turns out there’s a method to what might seem like an arbitrary decision. There are multiple reasons for these canning sizes, which include the materials lining the cans (they can be different), sales results, and equipment choices. Read about how breweries pick can sizes here.
Beer isn’t just for drinking. You can even bathe in it. There are spas specializing in what’s known as a “beer soak,” which is an ancient tradition from Eastern Europe, notably in the Czech Republic. There’s elements in beer that are purportedly great for your skin, which means the idea of a beer bath isn’t so outlandish after all. Self care takes on many forms. Read more about our firsthand beer soaking experience here.
Beer has lots of friends. And not just in the form of food. The beer and a shot combo goes back a very long time, and in fact, it’s been traced back to 1890s Montana. If you’ve ever wondered about the boilermaker pairing and want to whip out some cool facts at a party, check out our brief history of the boilermaker here.
We’ve all heard the rhyme, “beer before liquor, you’ll never be sicker.” I first learned that one in college and for the most part I stuck to it, thinking that drinking beer, then hard alcohol, would get me all sorts of messed up. Guess what, boilermaker fans? It’s a non-issue. You can drink both just fine in whichever order you like, just... don’t overdo it. (Yes, I’m being a parent.) Here’s some alcohol myths that we debunked, including the beer before liquor trope, along with some other cool tidbits.
One of the best parts about beer is that it doesn’t have to be fancy. There’s always room in life for a cheap bottle of Coors Banquet while you’re hangin’ out with friends in the woods for a day. We get these ideas that mass market beer isn’t the best available, but are they really that inferior to craft brews? Our skilled (happy) team of drinkers put big brand beers to the test, and it turns out there’s one worth stocking up on. Find out which mass market beer we love the most here.
We’re all guilty of hanging onto an old bottle of beer that’s in the back of our fridges, saying, “I’ll drink this tomorrow.” But will that beer go bad? The answer, unfortunately, is yes. Just like any other food or drink product, beer has a ticking clock over its head. That three-year-old brew in the basement fridge may not be faring so well, so learn more about how beer expires here.
We all know that beer makes a pretty valuable ingredient when it comes to cooking. It packs a lot of flavor, and with the right variety, you can add a boost of malty complexity to any dish you deem worthy to add brew to. But how do you pick which one is best? We’ve got one unified rule of choosing a beer to cook with, and turns out, it’s pretty simple. Read our single guideline to cooking with beer here.